Privacy Policy

Our Commitment to Privacy

At Local AI Master, we believe in complete privacy - not just for AI, but for everything. Our mission is to help you run AI models locally to maintain data sovereignty, and we apply those same principles to our website operations. We collect minimal data, process it transparently, and never sell your information to third parties.

When you explore our comprehensive LLM directory, dive into hands-on tutorials, or review AI hardware guides, your privacy is always protected. We use industry-standard security practices and comply with international privacy regulations including GDPR, CCPA, and other regional privacy laws.

This privacy policy applies to all services provided by Local AI Master, including our website, newsletter, interactive tools, courses, and any other digital platforms we operate. We encourage you to read this policy carefully to understand our practices.

Information We Collect

We collect only the minimum information necessary to provide and improve our services. Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the data we collect and why:

Information You Provide Directly

• Email Address: When you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your email address to send you weekly AI tutorials, model updates, and exclusive content. You can unsubscribe at any time.
• Course Enrollment Data: If you enroll in our free AI courses, we store your progress, completed lessons, and quiz responses to provide a personalized learning experience.
• Contact Information: When you reach out via our contact form, we collect your name, email, and message content to respond to your inquiry.
• Quiz Responses: Our AI Model Selector Quiz collects your hardware specifications and use case preferences to recommend suitable models. This data is not stored permanently.

Automatically Collected Information

• Analytics Data: We use privacy-focused analytics to understand how visitors use our site. This includes page views, time on page, bounce rates, traffic sources, and geographic location (country/region level only, never precise location).
• Device Information: We collect basic device data including browser type, operating system, screen resolution, and device type (desktop/mobile/tablet) to optimize our site's performance and design.
• Usage Patterns: We track which tutorials you read, which models you compare, and which tools you use to improve our content and identify popular topics.
• Log Data: Our servers automatically record standard log information including IP addresses, browser user agents, timestamps, and requested URLs for security and troubleshooting purposes.

Information We DO NOT Collect

We want to be clear about what we DON'T collect:

• Precise geolocation data
• Payment information (we don't sell anything)
• Social media profiles or third-party account data
• Biometric data
• Health or medical information
• Financial records or credit information
• Government-issued identification numbers

Advertising and Cookies

To keep Local AI Master free and accessible to everyone, we display advertisements through Google AdSense and may use other advertising networks in the future. Here's exactly how advertising works on our site:

Google AdSense

We use Google AdSense to display contextual advertisements. Google and its partners may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Serve ads based on your visits to our site and other sites on the Internet
• Measure ad performance and effectiveness
• Provide personalized advertising based on your interests (if you've consented)
• Prevent fraudulent activity and improve ad security

How Cookies Work

Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help websites remember your preferences and activities. We use several types of cookies:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly. These enable basic features like page navigation and access to secure areas. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. We use this to improve our content and user experience.
• Advertising Cookies: Used by Google AdSense and other advertising partners to show you relevant ads based on your interests. These cookies track your browsing activity across different websites.
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and choices (like dark mode preferences or quiz results) to provide a more personalized experience.

Personalized vs. Non-Personalized Ads

Personalized Ads: If you consent, Google AdSense may show you personalized advertisements based on your browsing history, interests, and demographic information. This often results in more relevant ads but involves more data collection.

Non-Personalized Ads: If you opt out or use privacy settings, you'll see contextual ads based only on the current page content and general factors like time of day and approximate location. These ads collect minimal data.

You can control your ad preferences through Google's Ads Settings page or opt out of personalized advertising entirely.

Third-Party Services

We use carefully selected third-party services to provide and improve our platform. Each service has its own privacy policy and data handling practices:

Google Services

• Google AdSense: Displays advertisements on our site. View Google's Privacy Policy
• Google Analytics: Provides website traffic and behavior analytics. View Google Analytics Privacy Policy
• Google Fonts: Delivers web fonts for better typography. Google Fonts is privacy-focused and doesn't track users.

Content Delivery and Infrastructure

• Vercel: Hosts our website infrastructure. They process minimal data for CDN delivery and security. View Vercel Privacy Policy
• Cloudflare: Provides security and performance optimization. View Cloudflare Privacy Policy

Email and Communication

• Newsletter Platform: We use secure email service providers to deliver our newsletter. Your email address is stored securely and used only for sending the content you subscribed to receive.

Important: We do not have control over the privacy practices of these third-party services. We recommend reviewing their privacy policies directly. We only partner with reputable services that maintain strong privacy and security standards.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for specific, legitimate purposes. Here's a detailed explanation of how and why we use your data:

Primary Uses

• Newsletter Delivery: If you've subscribed to our weekly newsletter, we use your email to send curated AI content, tutorials, model comparisons, and updates. Every email includes an easy unsubscribe option.
• Course Functionality: For enrolled students in our free courses, we track your progress through lessons, save your quiz scores, and provide personalized recommendations for next steps.
• Customer Support: When you contact us, we use your information to respond to inquiries, troubleshoot issues, and provide technical assistance with running local AI models.
• Content Improvement: Analytics data helps us understand which topics resonate with readers, which guides need updating, and what new content to create. For example, high traffic on model comparison guides tells us to create more comparison content.

Website Optimization

• Performance Monitoring: We analyze page load times, error rates, and user experience metrics to ensure fast, reliable access to our interactive calculators and tutorials.
• Content Personalization: Based on your reading patterns, we may suggest related articles or models that match your interests and hardware capabilities.
• A/B Testing: We occasionally test different layouts, content formats, or features to improve user experience. This involves showing different versions to different users and measuring engagement.

Security and Compliance

• Fraud Prevention: We monitor for suspicious activity, bot traffic, and potential security threats to protect both our platform and our users.
• Legal Compliance: We may use data to comply with legal obligations, respond to lawful requests from authorities, or enforce our Terms of Service.
• Backup and Recovery: We maintain secure backups to prevent data loss and ensure service continuity.

Advertising

Through Google AdSense, we display ads to support free access to all our content. Ad partners use cookies and similar technologies to show relevant advertisements and measure ad performance. You can control ad personalization through your Google Ads Settings.

We will NEVER:

• Sell your personal data to third parties
• Share your email with marketers or data brokers
• Use your information for purposes you haven't consented to
• Send spam or irrelevant marketing messages

Cookie Consent and Choices

You have full control over how cookies and tracking technologies are used on your device. Here are all your options:

Managing Cookies

Browser Settings: All modern browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies. Here's how:

• Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
• Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
• Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions

Opt-Out Options

• Google Ads: Visit Google Ads Settings to control personalized advertising
• Network Advertising Initiative: Opt out of targeted advertising from multiple networks at NAI Opt-Out
• Digital Advertising Alliance: Control interest-based ads at DAA Consumer Choice
• Do Not Track: We respect browser "Do Not Track" signals and reduce tracking when enabled

Important Note: Blocking all cookies may impact website functionality. Essential cookies required for site operation cannot be disabled without preventing basic features from working.

Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this privacy policy. Here are our specific retention periods:

• Newsletter Subscribers: Email addresses are retained until you unsubscribe. After unsubscribing, your email is permanently deleted within 30 days.
• Course Progress: Learning data is retained for 2 years of inactivity. After that, it's automatically deleted unless you've logged in or engaged with courses.
• Contact Form Inquiries: Messages and contact information are kept for 1 year for customer service purposes, then deleted.
• Analytics Data: Aggregated, anonymized analytics are retained for 26 months for trend analysis and planning.
• Server Logs: Log files containing IP addresses and technical data are retained for 90 days for security and troubleshooting, then automatically purged.
• Cookie Data: Most cookies expire after 30 days to 2 years depending on their purpose. You can clear them anytime through browser settings.

We may retain certain data longer if required by law, for legal proceedings, to prevent fraud, or to enforce our agreements. All retained data is stored securely and access is strictly limited.

Data Security

Protecting your data is our top priority. We implement multiple layers of security to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction of your personal information:

Technical Security Measures

• Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using TLS 1.3 (Transport Layer Security), the industry standard for secure communication.
• Encryption at Rest: Stored data, including email addresses and course progress, is encrypted using AES-256 encryption in our databases.
• HTTPS Everywhere: Our entire website operates over HTTPS, ensuring every page load and interaction is encrypted.
• Secure Infrastructure: We use Vercel and Cloudflare, industry-leading platforms with enterprise-grade security, DDoS protection, and 99.99% uptime SLAs.
• Regular Security Audits: We conduct quarterly security reviews and immediately patch any discovered vulnerabilities.

Access Controls

• Principle of Least Privilege: Only authorized personnel have access to personal data, and only to the minimum extent necessary for their role.
• Two-Factor Authentication: All administrative access requires 2FA to prevent unauthorized logins.
• Access Logging: We maintain detailed logs of who accesses what data and when, for accountability and breach detection.

Incident Response

In the unlikely event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will:

• Notify affected users within 72 hours via email
• Describe what data was compromised and what we're doing about it
• Provide guidance on protecting yourself
• Report to relevant authorities as required by law
• Conduct a thorough investigation and implement additional safeguards

Your Role in Security: Use strong, unique passwords for any accounts. Be cautious of phishing emails claiming to be from Local AI Master - we'll never ask for sensitive information via email.

International Data Transfers

Local AI Master serves a global audience. Your data may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than your own. Here's how we handle international data transfers:

Data Processing Locations

Our primary infrastructure is located in the United States, with CDN nodes distributed globally through Cloudflare for faster content delivery. Your data may be processed in:

• United States (primary servers and databases)
• European Union (CDN and backup systems)
• Asia-Pacific regions (CDN for faster access)

Legal Safeguards

When transferring data internationally, we ensure adequate protection through:

• Standard Contractual Clauses: We use EU-approved Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for transfers from the European Economic Area.
• GDPR Compliance: All data processing, regardless of location, complies with GDPR requirements for EU residents.
• Privacy Shield Principles: While Privacy Shield has been invalidated, we continue to adhere to its core principles as a best practice.
• Vendor Agreements: All third-party services (Google, Vercel, Cloudflare) have been vetted for international data transfer compliance.

Your Privacy Rights

You have comprehensive rights regarding your personal data. Here's what you can do and how to exercise these rights:

Universal Rights (All Users)

• Right to Access: Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you. We'll provide it in a structured, commonly used format (typically JSON or CSV).
• Right to Rectification: Correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data. Update your email, preferences, or course information anytime.
• Right to Deletion ("Right to be Forgotten"): Request complete deletion of your personal data. We'll erase everything within 30 days unless legal obligations require retention.
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format and transfer it to another service.
• Right to Object: Object to processing of your data for direct marketing, analytics, or other purposes. We'll stop immediately.
• Right to Restriction: Request that we limit how we use your data while disputes or verifications are ongoing.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: If processing is based on consent (like newsletter subscriptions), you can withdraw it anytime without affecting prior legitimate processing.

How to Exercise Your Rights

To make a request:

1. Email us at privacy@localaimaster.com with your request
2. Specify which right you're exercising and provide identifying information (email address used on our site)
3. We'll verify your identity (to prevent unauthorized access) and respond within 30 days
4. All requests are free of charge for the first request per year

Quick Actions:

• Unsubscribe from Newsletter: Click "Unsubscribe" at the bottom of any newsletter email
• Delete Course Progress: Email support@localaimaster.com
• Manage Cookies: Use the cookie consent banner or browser settings

Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

Local AI Master is committed to protecting the privacy of children. Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Our Policy

• Age Restriction: You must be at least 13 years old to subscribe to our newsletter or enroll in courses.
• No Intentional Collection: We do not intentionally collect, use, or disclose personal information from anyone under age 13.
• Parental Rights: If we discover we've collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it immediately.
• Content Appropriateness: While our technical content about AI models and tutorials is educational and appropriate for all ages, interactive features require users to be 13 or older.

For Parents and Guardians: If you believe your child under 13 has provided personal information to us, please contact us immediately at privacy@localaimaster.com. We will promptly delete such information from our systems.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you're a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

Your California Rights

• Right to Know: Request disclosure of categories and specific pieces of personal information we've collected about you in the past 12 months, including sources, purposes, and third parties we share with.
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale: We do NOT sell personal information. We have never sold personal information and have no plans to do so.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sharing: Opt out of sharing personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising (targeted ads).
• Right to Limit Sensitive Data Use: We don't collect sensitive personal information as defined by CCPA.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We won't discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

Categories of Personal Information We Collect

For California transparency requirements, here are the categories we collect:

• Identifiers: Email address, IP address
• Internet Activity: Browsing history on our site, pages viewed, links clicked
• Geolocation: Country/region level only (not precise location)
• Inferences: Preferences derived from your usage (e.g., interest in specific model types)

How to Exercise California Rights

California residents can exercise their rights by:

1. Emailing privacy@localaimaster.com with "California Privacy Request" in the subject
2. Providing your email address and describing your request
3. We'll verify your identity and respond within 45 days (extendable by 45 days if needed)

Authorized Agents: You may designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf. The agent must provide written authorization or power of attorney.

"Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information": We don't sell your data. However, third-party advertising cookies may constitute "sharing" under CCPA. You can opt out via our cookie consent banner or by visiting Google Ads Settings.

European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you're in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on:

• Consent: Newsletter subscriptions, cookie consent for non-essential cookies
• Contract Performance: Providing course access and tracking your progress
• Legitimate Interests: Analytics to improve our content, security measures, website optimization (balanced against your privacy rights)
• Legal Obligations: Complying with tax laws, responding to legal requests

Your GDPR Rights

• Right of Access (Article 15): Obtain confirmation of data processing and a copy of your personal data
• Right to Rectification (Article 16): Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure (Article 17): Request deletion ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to Restriction (Article 18): Limit processing in certain circumstances
• Right to Data Portability (Article 20): Receive data in machine-readable format
• Right to Object (Article 21): Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
• Rights Related to Automated Decision-Making (Article 22): We don't use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects

Data Protection Officer

For GDPR-related inquiries, contact our data protection officer at:

Email: dpo@localaimaster.com

Right to Lodge a Complaint

If you believe we've violated GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority (Data Protection Authority). We'd appreciate the chance to address your concerns first, but this right exists independently.

UK GDPR: For UK residents, the same rights apply under UK GDPR. Contact the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for complaints.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. Here's how we handle updates:

How We Notify You

• Effective Date: We update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy whenever changes are made.
• Material Changes: For significant changes affecting your rights or how we use your data, we'll notify you via:
  • Email notification to newsletter subscribers (if the change affects them)
  • Prominent notice on our homepage for 30 days
  • Pop-up notification when you visit the site
• Minor Changes: Technical updates, clarifications, or formatting changes won't trigger specific notifications, but the effective date will be updated.

Your Choices After Changes

If you disagree with policy changes, you can:

• Stop using our services
• Unsubscribe from the newsletter
• Request deletion of your personal data
• Adjust your cookie preferences to disable non-essential tracking

Review Regularly: We encourage you to review this privacy policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data. For major updates, we'll archive previous versions and provide a changelog.

Contact Us

We're committed to addressing your privacy concerns promptly and transparently. Here's how to reach us:

Privacy Inquiries

Email: privacy@localaimaster.com

Use this email for:

• Exercising your privacy rights (access, deletion, correction, etc.)
• Questions about data collection or use
• Reporting suspected data breaches
• GDPR, CCPA, or other regulatory inquiries

General Support

Email: support@localaimaster.com

For technical support, content questions, or general inquiries about our tutorials, courses, or model guides.

Data Protection Officer (GDPR)

Email: dpo@localaimaster.com

For European residents with GDPR-specific concerns or complaints.

Response Time

We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within:

• General Questions: 2-3 business days
• Privacy Rights Requests: 30 days (may extend to 60 days for complex requests)
• GDPR Requests: 1 month (extendable by 2 months if needed)
• CCPA Requests: 45 days (extendable by 45 days if needed)
• Data Breach Notifications: Within 72 hours of discovery

Mailing Address (for legal correspondence):

Local AI Master
Privacy Department
[Address will be added when required for legal compliance]

We value your privacy and appreciate your trust in Local AI Master. Thank you for reading our privacy policy!